Men Charged with Assisting North Korea in Production of Weapons of Mass Destruction

Yesterday, a man from suburban Chicago was arrested and charged with allegedly helping North Korea produce weapons of mass destruction by violating a U.S. machinery export ban. 36-year-old Glenville, IL resident Yueh-Hsun “Gary” Tsai and his father, 67-year-old Hsien Tai “Alex” Tsai, were both taken into custody and are waiting to be extradited. Back in 2009, the elder Tsai and two companies were flagged as “proliferators of weapons of mass destruction" by the FBI.

According to the FBI, his son created the Glenville company Factory Direct Machine Tools for the purpose of importing and exporting tools from him. The agency claims that the two bought a "Bryant center hole grinder," which is used to create a center hole with smooth sides. The tool was obtained through a company located in suburban Chicago and sent to Taiwan through the company Trans Multi Mechanics.

Tasi and his father have been hit with charges for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and conspiracy to defraud the U.S.